Saddle Brook’s CJ Limatola gets 100th win!
Congrats to CJ Limatola on getting his 100th win today. Words cannot describe how proud of him I am, he did this through hard work and will, not having the advantages that many have. This is a memory you will always remember and something nobody can ever take away. Congrats kid!
I posted this to my academy, Savarese Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but wanted to post publicly. I stumbled across this picture recently.
The picture on the left is about 2.5 years ago. I was in the middle of my Blue Belt and the Blue-Belt-Blues hit hard due to external stresses and my own ego issues. I felt that I wasn’t getting any better and there was a group of guys and girls who just got theirBlue Belts who I thought were flying by me. The stress got to me, I started to dread coming to train, it felt like a chore with no reward. As you can see, it affected me physically as well. It got to the point where I seriously considered quitting.
However, around that same time Professor began testing the Blue Belts on the entire stripe sheet curriculum. When I tested I realized how much I had learned, and how much better of a practitioner I was from the day I stepped on the mats. With that and the constant support of my girlfriend, who always understood how beneficial BJJ was for me, I found the enjoyment and focus which had disappeared. I am so happy that I stuck it out; the school has made me a better person, physically and mentally, and is a place I am proud to call home.
The purpose of this long-winded story is to remind many of the newer guys, to Trust the Process. Prof. Sav and Sean say it all the time, but sometimes it falls on deaf-ears because it is hard to imagine them as white belts or blue belts going through tough times. But, we have all been there. And I know for a fact that we all care about your progress, no one more than Professor Sav, Professor Sean and all the instructors. And I promise you will make progress if you just stick with it.
So, if you are feeling down, just remember how far you came and why you began BJJ in the first place, you will not regret it. And don’t be afraid to talk to any of the Professors, Coaches and upper-belts, they are always willing to listen.
See you all on the mats!
Savarese BJJ instructor places at UAEJJ! Congrats to one of our instructors, Danny Lleonart, for taking 2nd place in his division at the UAEJJ International Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Orlando this weekend. Danny will be competing again in 2 weeks in the North American Continental Pro in Queens. It has been a long time since Lleonart competed. An active and successful competitor at bluebelt, Leonart then took some time off from the competition scene while studying to become a lawyer, become a dad and deal w/ some personal issues. He has since gotten back into the scene and has a big year planned, especially UAEJJF tourns.
The Savarese BJJ competition team has been very successful over the last 5 years, winning team titles everywhere. They have been one of the best the East Coast has to offer in that span. Numerous champions have been crowned in organizations all over the USA including a Masters World Champion in Brian Long. Look out for the squad in tournaments throughout the East Coast in 2018, with many new members of the team making their competition debuts.
Savarese BJJ has one of the best kids team too, winning over 5 team titles in the past 2 years.
Savarese Jiu-Jitsu’s Alves wins UGA tournament! Congrats to our young phenom Leo Alves on taking First Place today in the purplebelt lightweight division at the UGA touney in Atlantic City. Great start to the 2018 Comp season, he will competing in a bunch of tournaments in 2018. Alves has been a dominant competitor since he was a teenager, winning men’s divisions all over the East Coast in tournament like Grappling Industries, NAGA, NJBJJF, Pride and some others. He will be competing in a superfight in the Dead Serious promotion vs. Justin Giove of Pellegrino MMA at the IPlay arena in Freehold, NJ in the coming months. The World Brazilian Jiu-Jitu Championship in CA is also in his plans for this year.
If any gi or fightwear companies are willing to sponsor him, please email me at savbjj@gmail.com, he is an awesome competitor and has been winning men’s division since he was 15.
Super proud of this guy right here. My student Mark Garcia at this time last year was one of the top competitors on my competition as a blue belt. Was maybe the most talented of a very talented group of bluebelts on our team at the time. While working takedowns after class on day, he completely tore his ACL. As most of us who have had these types of injuries before know, they can be mentally devastating to some as the rehab process is long. Mark had some pitfalls and setbacks during the recovery process and had to watch as many of the top bluebelts on our team, guys he sweat w every day and traveled to compete with, all got promoted to purplebelt during his rehab process. Then, in his first tournament back, he got beaten pretty soundly at the Toys for Tots tourn a couple of months ago. Instead of pouting and feeling sorry for himself, he worked harder, asked questions and diligently started getting back to where he was. He won 2 tournaments in a row after that. Last Wednesday, I promoted Mark to purplebelt and it was a bit emotional because it represented his struggle through this setback on his BJJ journey. Today, he won his purplebelt division at the Fuji BJJ tournament, winning both his matches by submission after being a purplebelt for 3 days. Brother, I am proud of you for your perseverance. See you in the lab tomorrow. OSS
Here is Savarese BJJ’s Mark Garcia weight loss story:
As I sink my teeth back into the 2018 competition season, I tend to lose myself in the wins and losses and critique every match I have whether it’s good or bad. I do have to remind myself why I started in the first place…I was over weight, stopped working out and eating good food that was unhealthy. I lost over 30 Ilbs in my first year. Despite having a big set back in 2017, there was so much to learn from it and to reflect the #1 reason I started Jiu Jitsu @savaresebjj. To live a healthier and confidence life and to set example for my peers and siblings not by my words but from my actions and the results from my hard work. I’m truly blessed to have met great people through Jiu jitsu. 
🙏 
💪
🤙#oss #fitlifestyle #healthylifestyle #jiujitsulifestyle #savaresebjj #njbjj#hardworkbeatstalent #bjj #jiujitsu #boa #neverquit
Here is a lesson from Renzo Gracie, as posted today on his Instagram page.
Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside, and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” People ask me all the time if it was painful. Yes, of course. It hurt a lot, believe. But at the same time, it was one of the most joyful moments of my life. That was when I became 100% sure I was not going to quit. 
🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷 “A dor é temporária. Pode durar um minuto, uma hora, um dia, ou um ano, mas eventualmente ela vai cessar, e vai ser substituída por outro sentimento. Se eu desistir, no entanto, é para sempre”. As pessoas sempre me perguntam se doeu. Claro, doeu muito, acredite. Mas ao mesmo tempo foi um dos momentos mais prazerosos da minha vida, pois foi quando tive certeza de que eu não desistiria. #jiujitsu #legacy #gracie #graciefamily #gallerrapp #gallerr #gallerracademy#brazilianjiujitsu #renzogracie Photo: Luca Atalla Gallerr #tbt
Here are the Savarese Jiu-Jitsu Grappling Industries results and breakdown:
Congrats to everyone on our competition team who did awesome at the Grappling Industries Tournament. Mark Garcia won his division in only his 2nd tournament after ACL surgery, our beast Sean Yadimarco Taking first in his division and in the gi Absolute, Andrew Kuntz continuing to get on the podium taking 2nd in his purplebelt division and congrats to Will Pike and Steve McNicholas for testing themselves. Great job guys, proud of you! Yadimarco has been on a tear in the last year, winning tournaments all over the country in NAGA, NJBJJF, Dead Serious, and some others.
I’m truly sorry if people find this out from this post but writing has always been a form of therapy to me. I received a phone call today from a dear friend that our good friend Dave “The Rock” Jacobs passed away yesterday. To say i am devastated would be an understatement. I pulled over and just cried for about 30 minutes unable to move. Haven’t stopped since. Rock has been my friend for almost 20 years and we have spent hours on the phone in the last year because both of us have had health problems. This picture of us and Justin Garcia hangs in my office and is one of my favorites from my time in BJJ. People used to call the pic “When the lollipop guild goes to Sparta” and Dave used to joke that he was the tallest in this pic. Chim and I used to tell him he was just the closest to the camera. The guys I came up w in what I call the “Grapplers Quest” days are special to me. The Rock was a guy who always laughed, tried to make people smile, always in a good mood. One of the most positive guys I know. He was a joker as well, always teasing me and then laughing when i got mad and he used to tell me that he loved me and my friend Samuel Joseph but he would do anything to get under our skin 
🙂 I think he watched the NBA just to tease us about LeBron. He was my go to for BJJ rules, one of the 1st American IBJJF referees. He is a friend who always called to check up on me. He taught at my school 2 years ago after just showing up unexpectedly when in town for a tournament. I still use and teach a takedown that he showed me that night. I am just absolutely heartbroken. I would do anything to talk to him one more time to say goodbye. His children are in my prayers right now 🙏. Rock, i love you and will miss you dearly as well as our talks. RIP my brother 
💔 until we meet again.
RIP Dave “the Rock” Jacobs
Savarese Jiu-Jitsu promotes blackbelts Danny Lleonart and Anthony DelGuercio thursday night at the end of a Rafael Lovato Jr. seminar. The pair, both training under Professor Chris Savarese for more than 10 years, received the honor in front of many of their teammates to great applause. Savarese surprised the pair at the idea of Professor Lovato and everyone’s surprise.
Tonight is a very special night for me. After many years of training, Professor Chris Savarese promoted me to black belt.
To put this in perspective, obtaining my black belt took me more time than it took me to attend college and obtain my law degree. Obtaining my black belt was also far more difficult and rewarding.
As I have said time and time again, if not for jiu jitsu, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Few things have shaped my life more than jiu jitsu. It has instilled discipline, been there in my darkest hours, helped me with weight loss, and has been the ultimate sanctuary on my worst of days.
To put it in further perspective, while I was honored to make partner at my law firm, I cherish this black belt far more than my partnership.
I am humbled and honored by this promotion, and I thank Professor Sav.
Next, congratulations to Danny Newskin Savbjj for his promotion to black belt! Well deserved!
Savarese BJJ blackbelts
